The twentieth century has seen great strides in the treatment and cure of various maladies. Diseases which once posed a threat to human life have veritably been eradicated.
Still, progress needs to be made in many areas. For example, numerous forms of cancer still plague the human race, and cures for various cancers elude medical science.
Even as cures are found for some diseases, new afflictions develop. For example, in the last decade, millions of people have been infected by the HIV virus and have died from resultant acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Various types of procedures have been postulated for use in the treatment of cancer and the HIV virus. One is hyperthermia. Hyperthermia is the controlled application of heat, either externally or extracorporeally. In extracorporeal hyperthermia, circulatory intervention is brought about, and blood of the patient is circulated external to the patient's body. Some sort of circulatory assist device is employed in extracorporeal hyperthermia.
Hyperthermia has been well-accepted as a cancer treatment, particularly for solid tumors. The technique of regional perfusion and hyperthermia to treat localized malignancies in the limbs has been explored both with and without chemotherapy. Hyperthermia without accompanying chemotherapy has been successful in treating refractory malignancies.
Kaposi's sarcoma is associated with limited life expectancy in HIV positive patients and, as statistics show, the incidence of HIV positive patients is growing geometrically. Evidence is available which demonstrates that hyperthermia, when applied to HIV positive patients with a circulatory support system being involved, can cause a reduction in symptoms and a reversal in the loss of lymphocytes.
In one study, circulatory support in combination with hyperthermia have been performed with in excess of fifty patients. Excellent results have been achieved. On-going studies have confirmed the success of such treatments.
Hyperthermia has been proposed as a valid method of treatment for other conditions also. These includes collagen vascular diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma, hepatitis, and Epstein-Barr virus.
Another procedure which, typically, involves circulatory intervention is one known as ECMO. The acronym stands for "extracorporeal membrane oxygenation". ECMO involves the use of cardiopulmonary bypass technology to effect circulatory and respiratory support for a patient's failing lungs. ECMO has been used in both newborns and adult patients. Indications which suggest the applicability of ECMO vary depending upon whether the patient is a newborn or adult. A newborn may be born with lungs that have been damaged (for example, by meconium aspiration or a birth defect). Damage resulting from such conditions can be repaired at great risk to the patient. Repair must, of course, be accomplished, since neither circumstance permits an infant to circulate oxygenated blood adequately. In the case of an adult patient, there has, typically, been a trauma giving rise to the need for ECMO treatment. Also, ECMO is frequently applicable as a means for treating a postoperative open heart surgery patient. Such patients are in severe distress with heart and lung failure.
Typically, when circulatory interventions are made, various non-integrated components are randomly assembled. Applicants are not aware of any fully-dedicated products which adequately integrate and coordinate operation of various assemblies and components for use in an extracorporeal treatment system for ECMO or hyperthermia.
The present invention is an apparatus and a method for use in performing ECMO procedures and hyperthermia treatments. The apparatus and method consolidate and coordinate components used in treatments. They, thereby, address many of the dictates and solve many of the problems of the prior art.